tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38664682910764498812017-08-05T23:39:58.037-07:00Romance-ishHi! Welcome to the blog of Young Adult writer Amy DeLucaAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-19140457899382630392016-03-25T11:36:00.000-07:002016-03-25T11:36:00.580-07:00A new release from CM Doporto is on the way!! MY LUCKY CATCH- A University Park Series Novel
Isn't it lovely?? If you're already a fan of my friend CM's uber-popular University Park series I know you'll be excited to learn about her upcoming May release My Lucky Catch! If you haven't found these novels yet, now's your chance to get started on these swexy New Adult sports romances.
Here's where to find it...
Preorder links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-75032721960957634672015-11-17T10:07:00.002-08:002015-11-17T10:07:15.712-08:00Happy book birthday to Michelle Hauck and GRUDGING!! Michelle and I met through her blog and the Sun vs. Snow contest she runs every January with fellow blogger and YA writer Amy Trueblood. I was one of the "winners" of that contest a couple years ago when my entry led to many agent requests and eventually signing with my agent for FOUR BULLETS.
Michelle does so much to help other authors, also running the Query Combat and Nightmare on Query Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-80154447690886116382015-02-05T19:41:00.000-08:002015-02-05T19:41:14.098-08:00Word Count Magic- The SprintAre you a sprinter? Not the track-and-field kind, but the writing kind. I never was-- until recently.
In the past couple of years, I've had writer friends invite me to "sprint" with them. I didn't take them up on it because I wasn't all-the-way sure how to do it or exactly why I'd need to do it. I write every day already and at a fairly fast clip. I didn't think I needed it. Boy, was I wrong.
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-18352806730403489982015-01-29T09:32:00.001-08:002015-01-29T13:21:33.395-08:00The Wisdom of Waiting-- Are you Rushing Your First Book?
How do you feel about the first book you ever wrote? You love it don't you? It might be shoved under the bed or languishing on the hard drive. You might have vowed that NO ONE will EVER read it. But you love it. It's your first love, your baby-- the one that made you a writer.
My first completed novel was a YA Fantasy romance and a project near and dear to my heart, as most "firsts" are. IAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-54455079733303170212014-06-16T11:19:00.000-07:002014-06-16T11:19:09.184-07:005 X 5
5
I've been challenged by my friends Nan Dixon and Marnee Gallaher Bailey to play 5 X 5 and list five things about the main character in my upcoming New Adult novel, CHANNEL 20 SOMETHING, then tag 5 other writers. So here we go... Heidi Haynes:
1- Just out of college-- works as a news reporter/anchor for a small market station in MississippiAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-52726680281674224012014-06-12T13:52:00.000-07:002014-06-12T13:59:46.752-07:00Guest-blogging with the Rubies!
I'm hanging out with my friends at the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood today, talking about the real-life inspiration for my 2014 Golden Heart YA finalist FOUR BULLETS, about my upcoming New Adult release, CHANNEL 20 SOMETHING, and about covers-- favorites and ... not so favorites.
Stop by if you get a chance. the Rubies are a great group of ladies, all Golden Heart finalists from 2009, who blogAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-22271509803571120732014-06-01T17:14:00.000-07:002014-06-01T17:14:32.044-07:00My Turn on the Writing Process Blog Tour
I'm so excited to be "it" this week on the Writing Process Blog Tour that's been sweeping the blogosphere. The amazingly talented and Golden-Heart-WINNING Darcy Woods tagged me. Her YA contemporary SUMMER OF SUPERNOVA won the YA Golden Heart last year, and I had the privilege of reading it (you SO have to buy this book when it's released into the wild!) Check out Darcy's fun and fabulous Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-7208244268370577142014-03-17T11:59:00.000-07:002014-03-17T11:59:35.456-07:00Happy News Today!
Love this guy-- doing the contest final strut!
It's been a crummy winter weather-wise in New England, which means it's been great writing-wise. Nothing tempting me to go outdoors and waste all that good writing time, no sir. I completed two new novels during all that indoor-time, and today I got a nice little payoff... the first contest final for my first New Adult book, CHANNEL Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-64562850646719140832013-08-28T12:59:00.002-07:002013-08-28T13:01:52.706-07:00So I Went on Vacation and Came Home With Some SouvenirsA week after returning from the whirlwind of RWA National in Atlanta this summer, I set off again for the Deep South with my boys in tow. We went "home" to Mississippi and then to Florida on a family vacation. Good stuff.
I came home with some souvenirs that will last longer and be more useful than some pretty shells or a tiny preserved alligator head. (I kid you not-- they sell these thingsAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-30965024512980592982013-07-14T20:02:00.000-07:002013-07-14T20:02:28.622-07:00I'm Not a Fluke! After quite a few thrilling( and surprising) honors for my first ms, Hidden Deep, my second ms, Four Bullets is now a contest finalist! I got word today that it finaled in the Golden Acorn Quick Look Hook contest-- the first one I've entered it in. Thank you judges!! On to the finals, and hopefully, more good news from the handful of other contests I've entered Four Bullets in.
I'll be pitchingAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-34160914030973084382013-06-04T05:20:00.002-07:002013-06-04T05:21:57.335-07:00Guest-blogging Today at Ruby Slipper SisterhoodIf you want to see how a writing blog should really be done... check out http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/. I've learned so much from these amazing ladies (who are all Golden Heart Finalists) already. I'll be guest-blogging today, talking about sacrifice and The Things We Do for Love. Come and visit! Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-50192817670836282722013-03-29T15:30:00.001-07:002013-03-29T15:30:20.215-07:00Hidden Deep is a 2013 GOLDEN HEART® Finalist!!Okay, I think after three days, I might have come down enough to write about this.
One year ago I joined RWA. Someone mentioned on an author blog that it would be a good idea for any writer aspiring to be published, whether or not they write romance because of the awesome educational resources the organization offers. I did it.
I have learned since then that romance writers are the nicest Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-28800812271199412962012-10-10T20:05:00.001-07:002012-10-12T19:37:20.631-07:00PITCH LIVE!
Author/blogger Brenda Drake is running a clever and exciting challenge this month on her blog Brenda Drake Writes . The PITCH LIVE! video pitch contest/blogfest offers authors the chance to pitch their Adult, New Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade Fiction manuscripts to agents.
The idea is to talk about your book just as you would if you ran into an
agent at a conference, except this timeAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-66665491170447732992012-10-09T19:50:00.001-07:002012-10-09T19:50:30.432-07:00Moonlight Magnolias and Magic
There she is... the Maggie Medallion.
I'm still recovering from the weekend's GRW Moonlight and Magnolias conference in Atlanta, and no, I did not overindulge. It's more of a delirious-joy-hangover situation.
First of all, it was an amazing conference with around forty workshops so good I wished I could clone myself and attend two at once. In case you're wondering, Julia Quinn is adorable. Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-38119715303853352362012-07-18T14:49:00.003-07:002012-07-18T14:49:54.943-07:00On Never Giving Up
photo by d.drenth
I recently attended the Ozarks Romance Writers 25th annual writing conference, and multi-published awesome author Rob Thurman was there, participating in an agent-author panel and leading critique groups.
She talked about her own road to publication, which I found really inspiring. Robyn had completed her first manuscript and knew she wanted a literary agent. So she sent Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-53149770375745029142012-07-12T20:39:00.003-07:002012-07-12T20:54:05.054-07:00How Long Before the Gong?
I’ve been telling you about a lot of firsts lately: first pitch meeting, first critique group-- all part of my first writing conference-- the Ozarks Romance Writers. Toward the end of the day, they put on a Query Letter Gong show. What a great idea! I missed Chuck Woolery, with his cheesy grin and mini-fro, but it was loads of fun and extremely helpful.
Here’s how it worked: anonymous Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-361346851800052752012-07-06T19:37:00.001-07:002012-07-06T19:55:04.311-07:00Conference Critique Groups- Must Do or Don't?
I talked Monday about my first pitch meetings last week at my first ever writing conference. It was a weekend of firsts-- I was also lucky to participate in a small group critique session with four other YA authors and multi-published awesome author Rob Thurman.
Each of us read aloud five pages of a manuscript we’d brought with us while the others followed along on (and marked up) their Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-72816683610199914982012-07-02T11:16:00.001-07:002012-07-06T20:14:47.178-07:00First Writing Conference- Pitch Meetings
photo by tomi tapio
I attended my first Writers' conference this weekend in Springfield, Missouri, organized by the Ozarks Romance Authors. I might not have considered traveling from Rhode Island for the conference, but a member called to let me know I was a finalist in their writing contest in the YA division, and she invited me personally to attend. That meant a lot to me. My sister also Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-91349494427086406712012-06-09T11:03:00.000-07:002012-06-09T11:42:42.336-07:00Conflicting Critiques
﻿
Photo by ndrwfgg
So, I’ve heard back from five of eight RWA writing contests that I've entered in the past few months. I’m a finalist in three of them! It's exciting. Almost as exciting is getting back the judges' score sheets and critiques. Some of the comments were so good, they made me want to run to my laptop and write 23/7 (must leave an hour for sleeping and eating!)
But not all Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-8079477707438716522012-05-23T20:08:00.000-07:002012-05-23T20:08:06.507-07:00Wednesday Writing RoundupOur top story today... sorry, my news roots are showing. But I do want to start the writing links roundup with a site every writer should at least visit. Author Brenda Novak has so many goodies here for writers, readers, and just about anyone else that it's almost hard to get away from her charity auction site once you get there. I won two of the auctions last year and was able to get amazing Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-58922017468976707202012-05-21T14:35:00.001-07:002012-05-21T14:35:11.231-07:00Why Writing Contests = Spinach
Photo by Tracie Broom- The Yum Diary
So, I did a post a few weeks ago about all the benefits of entering writing contests (Check it Out Here) even before you win, or even if you never do. I had just sent off my first few entries ever, after completing and revising the heck out of my Young Adult novel. It's so scary to put your work (and heart) out there for others to judge, but it's also Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-82315786673577545112012-05-15T11:03:00.001-07:002012-05-15T11:03:17.398-07:00Media Moment- Larger Than Life
photo by sky#walker
The most common advice you hear about giving an interview is to "Be yourself." Sounds easy enough- you are yourself, so how could you ever not "be yourself?"
But if you've ever actually done a television interview, you know that it is indeed possible. In fact, I've known professional broadcasters who struggled with this after doing live tv everyday for months, even Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-17871271476526552852012-05-08T20:55:00.000-07:002012-05-08T20:55:07.672-07:00Wednesday Writing Roundup
I have to start today with a big Woo Hoo! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've recently entered a few writing contests for the first time, and even before the first word was judged, I got so much benefit from the fire-under-my-heinie aspect of contest participation.
But this is even better: I'm a finalist! I know, it's not winning (yet!), and maybe I never will win one, but it's just so Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-59558541960497890002012-05-06T15:34:00.000-07:002012-05-15T11:03:31.967-07:00Media Moment- A Horror Story and a Happy Ending
Oh no! What did I say?
I started my career as a news anchor and reporter three weeks after graduation, making twelve thousand dollars a year. How glamorous! Because I didn't want to spend my entire life living in a one room apartment eating mac n cheese for every meal, I moved every few years, making my way up the TV news career ladder to bigger television markets where the pay got better, Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3866468291076449881.post-56096513904872178712012-05-04T05:34:00.000-07:002012-05-15T11:06:05.093-07:00Promotional Points- Pink Power!
What's more effective than using a promotional product like chocolate or bookmarks or custom microfiber cloths to promote your books? Using LOTS of promotional products together!
I recently attended a book-signing in Rhode Island for new author Jackie Hennessey and her humorous gift book for moms, How to Spread Sanity On A Cracker.
Jackie has a PR background, and it shows. She's Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07221209272618905129noreply@blogger.com0